


Taken With You

by blankdblank



Category: Real Person Fiction
Genre: Escape, Hostage Situations, In the wild, Over prepared, Random Country, Tiny Tent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 21:17:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18972961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankdblank/pseuds/blankdblank
Summary: Richard Armitage wakes to find himself inside a cage built into a cabin in the middle of the wild. Only, he's not alone. This irritatingly charming stranger seems to know just what to do and where to go. Getting home must be simple and easy right? Only questions start to bubble up on what part this irritatingly charming stranger will play in his life during one of the hardest struggles he has faced before.





	1. Chapter 1

“What the fuck?” Under his breath Richard mumbled as he peered up from the cold wooden floor he was sprawled painfully across. His body aching from the clear manhandling of him being brought out to this seemingly abandoned cabin out in the middle of who the fuck knows where. Inside a metal cage with nothing past a simple open crevice in the wall with an outhouse toilet set up inside and a sad excuse for a mattress across the floor coated in a rust stained tarp.

A groggy grumble drew his eyes to the formerly unnoticed cage across from his. Inside, a mess of curls was polled over the bloody face of a young woman in split jeans and a faded near backless Rolling Stones tank top over a lime green bra matching her tall socks in her badly scuffed boots. Smacking her lips she raised her head adjusting her chained arms across her badly bruised back speaking in a thickly accented language he couldn’t place, “Why the fuck do I taste pumpkin?”

Shuddering hastily she planted her forehead on the mattress and groaned sliding her knees up to her chest, using the taught chain holding her arms up to keep her steady until she was able to straighten up. Quietly he wondered why her chains dangling from a hatch in the ceiling were tighter than the one draped across his back and thigh granting him plenty of slack to move around. Again she mumbled, “What sort of cheap sedative tastes like pumpkin? Cheap bastards.”

In a firm tug she grumbled at the tight chains and sighed clearly in English, “Not again.” Planting a foot on the ground she jumped up somehow raising her leg up over her head to coil around the chain that fell slack dropping her heavily on her back with an irritated groan at the fall and the heavy chain coiling down onto her chest. In a roll onto her side her eyes fell on him in his planting of his shoulder to raise onto his knees.

A weak chuckle left her and she flashed him a surprisingly wide and irritatingly dazzling grin while his eyes shifted to her stunning emerald green eyes shining out under her dark knotted curls she tilted her head to swing out of her face. “I suppose it’d be a bit much to say fancy meeting you here, Mr Armitage.”

Hastily he wet his lips feeling his brows furrow in both confusion at her eased behavior and his irritation at being in this situation now of all times. “Bit, ya.” Though the single pleasing glimmer was her correct pronunciation of his name, _“Remember the little things”_ he chanted in his mind, a lesson from his mother he hoped could help him through this to get back to her again hopefully before it was too late. Knowing fully she didn’t need the stress of this either. “You know where we are?”

She shook her head, “Though I have a few ideas. It’d be easier outside.” At that he growled unintentionally in a heavy exhale making her grin, “Keeping you from something?”

With more bite then he intended he replied, “As a matter of fact yes! Now is the absolute worst time for this! I have to get back!”

She nodded and replied without the playful glint in her eyes or grin, “They show up once a day. Looks near to sunset, shouldn’t be long yet.”

He sighed then groaned shifting to sit along the wall to stare at the door, anywhere but at her really, growling out, “I don’t care whose neck I have to break I am getting out of this cage.”

Though his eyes snapped back to her at her laying back to prop her feet up against the wall staring up put the sunroof there, “That’s the spirit.” Making his eyes narrow as he watched her smack her lips then kick a wobbly board along the wall lowering a funnel that let out a stream of water falling into her mouth until she kicked it again.

…

Lying on the mattress Richard again glanced at his fellow captive feeling an irritating sting at the silence since their first conversation. Barely you had moved at all since your drink and each time he stole a glance your way he could see you lying there blinking up at the sunroof until the first flecks of sunlight. A shift of his head brought the distant wall into his view, two duffel bags, one of his and presumably yours was the other. Inside his sat the novel he could be reading through to rehearse for his audio book coming up, inside which sat the letter from his mother, now painfully bedridden in the aftermath of her first chemo session.

 _“She doesn’t need this. Not now.”_ He kept berating himself mentally trying to understand what he had done wrong. Full security until he got to that taxi on the way to the airport. Each moment he scrutinized wondering just what could have happened and slowly he began to remember the odd pumpkin taste in his mouth when he woke up. A taste you had attributed to a sedative. Clearly he had been drugged and somehow brought here. Not an easy task, for being pretty docile he had some heft to him and a far from comfortable body enabling stealthy transport. Somewhere there was footage of his slumped body being put on a plane or shoved into a vehicle for transport. Someone was looking for him.

.

The idling of an engine that shut off broke his thoughts and he watched as you rolled over and sat up looking over at the door. Through that a surprisingly scrawny looking man with sun stained skin coated in leathery wrinkles and freckles surrounding grey dull eyes walked in leaving his cowboy hat on the table he passed. His boots hitting the ground heavily and into the cages he tossed two packs of what appeared to be army rations and made to leave only to halt at your head nod.

With furrowed brows Richard watched the man storm over to kick the cage screaming in a foreign language, ‘Greek maybe?’ He asked himself before he heard your broken attempt to say something in the same tongue that stilled his rage. A shrug from you made their captor sigh and reach into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Then followed by his keys he slicked across his palm finding the right one as you stood up triggering the chain to tighten in a straight recoil jerking your bound arms upwards earning a grimace from you missed by the man.

A click opened the cage and Richard swallowed dryly quietly inching up onto his knees keeping hold of his chain to keep it slack ready to help if possible. Eyeing you and your presumed innocent self the man passed through the door and took three steps to you. A cigarette was thumped out of the pack that he raised to your lips to claim before he lit it. A turn of his body signaled your jump up to grab the chain behind you while calling out something making him turn right into your kick to his face throwing him heavily into the cage on your left unconscious. The weight of your body slackening the chain again allowed you to loop your feet through your arms to raise the key hole to the cigarette.

The heat of the lit end releasing the cuffs and granting you the chance to rush over and drag the man back to the middle of your cage to cuff him in your place. Hastily you rummaged through his pockets shoving his wallet, cigarettes and lighter into yours, then you found and grabbed the keys off the floor to free Richard.

With lips parted he raised a brow blurting out, “You just kicked him in the face.”

With a shrug you unlock his cage and walk inside, lowering the cigarette between your fingers. Carefully helping him to his feet after unlocking his cuffs with the cigarette you then put out on the heel of your shoes. “He kicked me first.”

Walking out the cage after you Richard halted at your move to drag out your bags and to rummage through the shelving system there pausing at a fire extinguisher you passed to him, “This’ll work.”

Peering down at it he asked, “What is this for?”

You glanced up at him, “To hit the other guy.”

His lips parted to ask who the other guy was before he heard a shout through the closed door in a thicker accented muddled attempt at the first mans language. With a gentle nudge you guided Richard behind the door while you pulled the pin on the extinguisher saying, “Deep breathe, spray him then hit him in the face.” Without question as you moved behind him.

Richards skin coated in hair raising bumps at the blood curt king scream you let out between loud stomps on the floor signaling Bad Guy Number two into the cabin. Within moments a breathe was drawn and as the door was thrown open Bad Guy number two was coated in the white powder stunning him into a coughing fit ending with the hard metal canister that slammed into his head sending him flying into the cage you had been locked in.

A grin spread across your face in your move to rummage through his pockets, collecting his wallet as well and his cigarettes and solid gold lighter. Curiously the panting actor watched you drag him into his former cell and lock him in as well before returning to rummaging through the shelves.

“What are you doing?”

“Stocking up. No telling how far to the next city.”

Richard glances through the door, “They brought a four wheeler.”

You nodded catching his eye while he struggled not to focus on the scratches on the top of your exposed cleavage, “Ya, been there, gps trackers can be linked to your phones. You’re free to it if you like though. You might get luckier than I did.”

With furrows brows he watched out double bag the bag of food and random items in a trash bag from a roll you shoved into your waterproof duffel you shouldered in your path out to the porch. Rapidly he moved to shoulder his, leaving the canister on the ground to hurry after you unwilling to face whatever this brought on alone. No matter who you were you seemed to know something about how to handle this situation. Something he should be useful in after studying about spies and soldiers for years to perfect his prior roles, but what you read on paper has little use when needed in times like this it seemed.

…

Hours, you had literally been silent for hours. A few words was all he had spoken to you and none of it kind or grateful. Just a few steps ahead of him he eyed your dark bruises visible between the slits in the back of your shirt and tears in your jeans across your thighs. Each black and purple reminder of how you had been taken only angered him more. Clearly he would have some bruises but for a woman of your size there was no reason for you to have been treated like that.  All only making him wish he’d hit that second man harder and gone for a few gratifying albeit morally unsound kicks to the chained unconscious man who had kicked you before.

Deeper and deeper he sank into his foul mood until his eyes rose to the ridge you were clearly walking to as a clap of thunder sounded overhead inching him closer to your back. Wetting his lips he eyed you again and shifted to your side on the wider path to ask, “We’re going towards the ridge?”

You nodded, “Yup. Should be able to figure out where we are from there.”

Wetting his lips he stated, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier.”

A weak chuckle left you and you hopped over a high laying root and fallen log he easily stepped over, “You were taken, totally acceptable response to not be into my try to lighten the mood. Big premier?”

You glanced up at him and he furrowed his brows for a moment, “No, I um, I was at a television appearance out in Germany.” You nodded and lowered your hands for the start to the upward slop to the top of the ridge. “You?”

“Backpacking in Italy. No television appearance past wandering into the background of a news anchor the third day.”

Exhaling behind you he mumbled, “Italy?”

You shrugged, “Well, I’m personally hoping for Monaco.” He raised a brow and you chuckled weakly in your glance back at him, “Never been. Hear it’s breathtaking.”

He nodded, “It is.” Pausing for a moment then asking, “Where’d you go in Italy? Usual tourist stops in Venice?”

“Palermo actually. Not much for cannolis usually but they were nice.”

Weakly Richard chuckled and shifted the bag on his shoulder eyeing you in your lift up on the top of the ridge you walked closer to the edge and let out a breath mumbling, “Huh…”

Richard looked down at you, “Huh?” Then looked out to the snow capped mountains surrounding the tree coated smaller peak you seemed to be on, “Please tell me you have a clue where we are.”

With a nod you replied, “Jungfrau.” You glanced up at him adding, “Switzerland.”

Mumbling in another scan over the scenic view he asked, “Why the fuck…?”

You shrugged, “Logically, no reason for Switzerland. Though,” you sighed and started off again, “That way.”

Blinking at your back he paused for a moment then rushed a few steps to get to your side again, “You’re certain?”

Your head tilted, “Well, it’s either that or we’re in Japan, though I don’t believe that peak is on any Japanese maps.” You said pointing at a distant peak.

“You, you do this often?”

Glancing up at him you brushed your long curls from your face, “Backpack through Switzerland? Few times.”

“Backpack-,”

You shrugged, “Well what am I supposed to call it? Do I get taken hostage and have to escape through Switzerland often, obviously not. Who would, I mean you would have to have the worst luck ever for that to happen more than once.”

“I certainly wouldn’t call it backpacking. And you seem pretty at ease in all this.”

With a scoff and disingenuous chuckle you replied, “At ease? Who in the world is at ease in waking up chained in a cage.”

“You seemed to know what to do. In fact, you seemed to have the escape planned out, why stay then?”

You glanced back up at him after stating, “For one I always tend to have company a couple days out, so it pays off to linger a bit.”

A stunned expression flashed across his face, “So you have done this before. You’re in the service?” his voice picked up eagerly, “Like MI5? You’re a spy?”

Giggling again you shook your head, “Sorry to disappoint, but no.” His brows furrowed again, “Though the first time I did end up getting locked in with an MI5.”

“How often does this happen to you?”

“Um, not, often. Honestly this is the first out in the wilderness one. Usually it’s some panic room or some creepy guy’s basement after I ask too many questions about items for sale in the markets.”

“What job on earth would make people lock you up at all if not that then?”

“I’m a part time dog walker.”

“What? For spies?! How else would that put you in danger?”

“I travel a lot too. My Gramps was a museum curate. I also get asked to appraise inventories from time to time.”

He peered at you again, “That makes no sense unless you’re like some Indiana Jones style treasure hunter.”

You chuckled again, “If that helps you settle with why I’m out here, I suppose I can’t convince you otherwise on word alone.”

.

Another few hours later and you stopped at the side of a stream and set down your bag, dipping your hands into the clear water you rinsed off your face with while Richard refilled his empty bottle beside you for a long drink. Wetting your lips you eyed a small cove surrounded by rocks and then turned to draw out a shirt you knotted shut in your path to the rocks.

Curiously Richard followed after you and watched you kneel over the rocks weaving a strip of your hair into a braid while you twisted the rest up under your bra strap. Hunched over the pool his eyes sank to the water spotting you dipping your hands under the water, leaving the shirt on the shore as your braid dipped into the water. Anxiously as he tore his eyes away from the scratches across your chest he picked up the shirt, now seeing its use at the large fish poking its head out at the shady pool and braid weaving on the surface at the cautious sway of your head.

A grin spread across his face seeing it swim straight through the rocks your hands were against to be gripped in your hands and raised up as it latched onto your braid. Shifting it closer to him you dropped it into the shirt making him chuckle then watch at your rising up to return to your bags where he watched you dig out a small portable stove, skillet and cooking set. Weakly he chuckled in disbelief, and you replied with a grin, “No matter where I go when I travel alone I always end up roughing it one way or another.”

Even lost out here he couldn’t help but feel a sense of ease wash over him. For all he wished to be home his mind flashed back to the ache he felt out in New Zealand when he was so busy filming to truly explore and experience being out in the scenic lands. For all the trouble he found himself in, a deep ache at the constant motion and drive to keep pushing, even through his troubles with his Mother’s health, seemed to shake loose. Time seemed to still and he knew that the time to reflect and pause to settle into all possible outcomes he had been avoiding was now forced upon him. It could take days to get back to a town and now he had nothing but this mystery of a woman to keep him from facing what lay ahead of him back home.

Through the lunch he helped to fix the packaged potatoes you had swiped from the cupboard as well you ate with the fish then sat letting your burner cool allowing you to rest some more until you could pack it up and keep going. Each step taking you farther from your jail and towards a next mess of woven trees, another dig in your pack later he raised a brow, “Don’t tell me, you have a tent in there too?”

An awkward grin spread on your face and you replied, “Don’t you knock my tent packing readiness.”

A playful smirk spread on his face and he rumbled back, “And just what do you do with the tent if you end up staying in a hotel?”

Playfully pointing a finger at him you replied, “Who says I don’t still pitch it anyways?” Making him roll his eyes and chuckle, “Stream to the East, we can call the bathroom to the South. Trees are a good circle with Owl nests above so not likely to have rodents.”

He glanced up not even noticing the curious owl hatchlings peeking out at you both in his move to aid you in pitching the ridiculously small tent for the pair of you making him laugh again, “Oh that is adorable.”

You poked him in the middle, “Hey, again, don’t knock the tent. You’ll just have to curl up those legs of yours in my adorable tent.” Making him chuckle and nod, “It’s gonna rain anyways and if I let you get sick or injured your whole army of fans will track me down and kill me.” He raised a brow and you sent him a playful glare in return, “Oh don’t even act like your fans don’t call themselves an army.”

“I wouldn’t let you get hurt for my stubbornness.”

With another giggle you guided him towards the stream you took turns scrubbing up a bit before changing and grabbing one of the fish that came out at night for a simple dinner. Another dig in your bag made him laugh out loud at the twin travel toothbrush pouches you pulled when he realized his toothbrush was missing, one of which out he gratefully accepted and stored in his own bag after when you both climbed into the simple tent that was zipped up behind you. An awkward giggle or two later and you settled on your back with legs propped up while he laid on his side curling his legs under yours under the thick wool blanket you had packed barely able to cover the both of you.

.

Tangled under Richard’s warm chest and arms you woke up with his head buried into your neck and hair holding you tight to his chest under the bundled blanket pulled around the both of you. Groggily however he rolled over onto his back at your wiggle free to sit up and climb out of the tent in the early morning light. A few minutes later he stirred eyeing the empty spot beside him his hand tapped stirring a low groan from him at the absence of the warm pillow he had been wrapped around. Out and on his feet he eyed your bag and turned to grab the shovel and toilet paper you had left aside for use in the night before. As your back was turned he crept rather awkwardly into the distant trees searching for some semblance of privacy.

Sure it was expected, you had mentioned a week out alone, though in a group of guys a stop by a tree or trot off alone could be taken as a joke, but even for the most normal of bodily responses he still felt nervous expressing it around females. Tried to avoid it whenever possible, even with former girlfriends he tried, as many do in new relationships do, to hold off the bodily responses to remaining fed and hydrated properly. Shaking his head he turned his focus back to his task at hand. You weren’t his girlfriend, he had no reason to think you would be so naïve on this subject, you had in fact prepared for it.

But then the feel of you in his arms crept back, his ever growing wish to remain in your sight as if for your protection. Knowing somehow you could help him through any troubles ahead. The great lummox he was, following you around helplessly, such a sucker for a good cuddle. The more he thought the worse it got, mental jabs at himself for imagining this was more than it was. You hadn’t been waiting for him, but for anyone, in fact, anyone at all. Never a mention of being a fan or having a soft spot for him in return past the knowledge on how to correctly speak his name.

Buckled up and on his way back the realization hit him like a tone of bricks. _Name_. He’d been with you two nights and he still hadn’t asked you your name. _“What a downright fucking arse I must seem like to her!” He_ growled at himself. _“Alright, ask her name, and then learn more about her. We’ve got a week at least.”_

A week for what he had no clue, but he was going to get to know you and forced the thoughts on what would happen between you after out of his mind. You had to get back, he had to get back but to think of how far your home would be from his he didn’t want to hear of it. He couldn’t possibly lose you too, not now.

At your side again to help you pack up the tent again while the next bout of food rations cooked slowly on your burner he wet his lips and cleared his throat. “Um, you must think I’m an unbearable ass.”

Locking your eyes on his your brows furrowed, “What on earth would make you think that. To be honest you’re my top escape buddies.”

Unable to help it he chortled and shook his head to keep from rolling his eyes, “I doubt that. I haven’t even asked your name.”

You giggled again patting your hand on his forearm flinching his eyes from that to your eyes again with an oddly hopeful glint in his eyes, “The MI5 I got stuck with he ranted endlessly on my heading ‘in the wrong direction’ out a few days out in the middle of the desert near Cairo. He caused such a huge stir I still can’t go back there. Stubborn ass.”

Richard chuckled again, “Wow. Were, you at least friends after?”

“Um, yes and no. We emailed, and a couple years later he comes back from this long trip out in who knows where and he asks me to dinner the next night.”

With a sting in his chest he sat back on his knees, “Ah, you dated then?”

Your brows furrowed through a curious smirk shaking your head, “No. He never showed and three months later I get an apology in my voicemail and he says we shouldn’t date.” You shrugged, “Irritatingly charming, that’s how he described me. To my face. He’s the one that nagged me into going to dinner then all that for just a, pfft,” you shrugged again and caught his eye again, “It’s Jaqiearae, by the way. Or simpler, Jaqi Pear.”

“It’s very pretty.”

You giggled again and turned back to the food, “Thank you. Though you shouldn’t feel bad. People tend to forget it soon enough anyways.”

“I doubt that.”

You looked up at him saying, “I was a triplet, even my parents forgot how to spell my name when I had to sign up for schools.”

“Were, a triplet?”

Wetting your lips you replied as your eyes fell to the cooking meal, “My brothers, back about 9, in little league with our cousins. Our uncle had been drinking and got into a car accident. It, um, ya, dad sort of stopped talking to me after that.”

His mouth fell open and he asked abruptly, “Your Mum?”

“Couldn’t look at me without crying. Though she got better when she got pregnant again. Then she swung badly back into anxiety and depression after. Dad decided we would road trip and camp often as we could.”

“Did that help?”

You let out a heart sinking wry chuckle, “I just turned 14, and we went to Yellowstone. 11 kids in all counting me, cramped rv,” you shrugged, “I just went to fetch a bag one of my younger sisters had dropped on the trail and I came back and they were gone.” Angrily his brows furrowed, “Managed to make it to an aunt’s house not too far away, she called them to let them know I was safe and they said I wasn’t missing I was weeding in the back as I’d been told. She had to get back to nursing school and Great Gramps called out of the blue and he came to pick me up. Never met him before, family fall out, and um, him and his son, Gramps, who home schooled me after that, took me around the globe with them.”

“I hope they set your parents straight.”

You chuckled weakly, “Well, Great Gramps left them a dollar each in the will and left the rest to me and Gramps, past a few bits for my aunt and other uncle. Ended up that my parents had to find out they were now my tenants and my siblings were irritated to find out I wouldn’t pay for their schooling as they’d hoped. So, far from fairytale family.”

Thankfully the food was done and you could focus on that until you cleaned up and got on your feet to keep on going to the distant somewhere.

.

A few hours passed and it wasn’t until your next break was reached when Richard had reached his emotional limit as your story had stirred up his decades with his Mother, such a loving family, so supportive compared to your painfully unfeeling parents and hoard of siblings possibly only dreaming of having a family like his. Right as he sat down your eyes landed on him your lips parted seeing a tear break free over his cheek drawing you closer to his side, “Richard..?”

Barely above a whisper he replied, “My Mum has cancer.” Your lips parted and your hand smoothed across his back gently while he poured out the whole discovery up to the terrible first bout of chemo she’d just finished.

Stroking his back again you said, “Well, I, um, we could try my phone when we stop for the night. We should be high and close enough to the towers to get a signal hopefully to let them know you’re safe.” Again you rubbed his back and he sniffled and wiped his cheeks, “We’re gonna get you home to her.”

He nodded again and looked to you, “We haven’t, shared-,”

You shook your head, “Don’t you worry about it. By my reasoning I would normally take waking up in cages and chains as a built in, what are they called, n-, the duct tape contracts.”

He chuckled weakly, “Duct tape contract?”

You tapped your fingers to your lips and mimed locking a key, “The silencing contracts.”

He nodded and chuckled again and you wiped his next stray tear away, “Non disclosure contracts.”

“Sure, if you say so.” You chuckled as he did again giving you another of his hopeful smiles, “You’re my escape buddy, the only thing I’ll share with the press was we had a lovely trek through the Swiss Alps, build up their tourists possibly. Compliment them, I read somewhere, you like to be a slob a bit, but no worries there I’ll tell them you smell like roses or, pine trees or, that bear bottle of old spice body wash if you like.”

He chuckled again, “At home alone, sometimes. I will try not to offend you too terribly with that.”

You shook you head and giggled again, “Oh I highly doubt you could.”


	2. Chapter 2

At the highest point you could reach you sat on a tall boulder and turned on your cell phone and mentally retraced the distance you had estimated and fired that off in a text to your ex Mr Cairo. A turn of your head later you readied to call Richard only to squeak and slide off the boulder at his place right beside you. Hastily he gripped your hips pulling you flush against his chest stirring an anxious grin from you, “Hey, I got a signal. You can call home.”

With a weak grin and a dry swallow he let you down to start on dinner as he waved the phone around and hopped up onto the boulder and grinned at the solid three bars. Number dialed and three rings later his grin grew hearing his mother’s frail tear stained voice, “Hello?”

“Mum!” Instantly he could hear her sniffling and his eyes welled up with tears, “Mum, mum, please don’t cry. I’m alright.”

Tearfully she asked, “My Richy Bear, they told us you’d been taken,” her voice squeaked out, “Showed us this footage-, they said to wait for a call but there’s been no calls-…”

She sniffled again while her husband wrapped his arm around her back while his brother and sister in law rushed in to sit on the couch with them hearing who it was on the phone. Across from them they eyed the Agent furrowing his brows at the message he’d just received who looked up at them stating, “Ask him if he’s alone.”

Margaret sniffled again and asked, “Richy, dear, are you out there alone?”

“No. There was a woman there with me, we got out the other day and are hiking our way to town.”

The agent asked, “Is he with a Jaqi Pear?”

Margaret repeated the question and Richard asked curiously, “How did you know that? Did they race the phone to her?”

Margaret, “No, the agent here seems to know her.”

With a smirk he purred back curiously, “He wouldn’t have happened to have met her in Cairo, now did he?”

Her brows flinched together for a moment in curiosity before she parroted back the question only for the agent’s face to drop and pucker in shock making her smirk and say, “I believe his face is saying yes.” Richard chuckled deeply, “Well, Jaqi says we’re in Jungfrau, Switzerland.”

Softly she repeated, “Switzerland?”

The Agent left the room to call in the location and to pull up a map knowing your estimation of miles was where you had traveled from, when your phone had been traced they sent out a team to search the area to find just who had taken you knowing you’d most likely have rendered them incapacitated. When he returned he had a confirmation of a team being sent and Richard had hung up saying the meal was ready and he would contact them again as soon as he could. Looking over the actor’s family the Agent stated, “Good news, Miss Pear was able to give us a good radius to search for where they were kept.”

Chris, Richard’s brother shook his head, “But they’re free now-.”

Agent, “Yes, but in my experience with Miss Pear she has locked their captors up in their own traps before. We will have a good footing on who took them and why. I don’t doubt she will find him safely to a city nearby.”

John, his father asked, “What will they do for money?”

“From what I can recall Miss Pear is quite resourceful on that aspect as well.”

Margaret, “Is she an agent as well?”

The Agent shook his head, “No. Though she has aided in a small number of recovered hostages in the past.”

Margaret, “And Cairo?”

The Agent paused and replied, “We met in Cairo. I know from experience just how talented she is at recovery and long treks home again. She will get him home again as soon as she can.”

John nodded, “I take it you don’t get along?”

The Agent let out a grumbling sigh, “Miss Pear is, irritatingly charming. She will get him home safe. If you will excuse me. Contact us if you hear anything else. Good night.” He showed himself out leaving the family to let out relieved chuckles and hug one another knowing he was safe and just a couple train rides away possibly from home.

.

Settling down beside you Richard passed you back the phone he’d shut off giving you a wide grin, “Thank you.”

“Everything alright?”

He nodded, “Yes, Mum was worried especially, apparently there’s footage of me being shoved in the boot of a car, thankfully not being aired. Mr Cairo was there.”

“Oh good, that means he got my text about the cottage.” Richard raised a brow at you, “On the boulder I gave him an estimate of where we were, they’ll grab the guys, find out what they wanted. No doubt they’d have caught a pretty penny for you.” His brow ticked higher, “You are delusional if you doubt there aren’t women, or some men that would pay to keep you in house.”

He shook his head with a weak chuckle, “I refuse to think that, after all, if they wanted to sell me I’d hate to imagine just what they would have done with you.”

Sighing softly you replied, “Eat your, meatloaf?” you said poking the glob of should be meat with your spoon with curiously furrowed brows.

His eyes scanned over you again asking as he filled his spoon, “Are you in pain? I noticed your bruises before.”

“Nothing too terrible. No broken bones.” A statement not aiding in his relief for your clearly withheld pain but soon enough again you were tugged into the actor’s sleeping hold as his pillow once again.

.

Day by day you made your way through the wild crossing the path of some very curious yet skittish Red Deer, more owls that peered at you while you set up camp under their homes each night between sightings of wild bunnies and Chamois. The latter bringing up a confused string of questions from the actor as to what animals you knew to be wandering out here in the wild. Your next lunch brought up a sighting of a bear and her cubs, all watching as you caught your own fish and held your own distance without sign of nearing them easing her worries and yours. A silent truce that the same curious screeching golden eagle from above did not adhere to as in your head being turned it swooped and stole your helping of the fish while Richard’s cooked.

With a scoff you watched it soar away, “Feathered thief!”

The bear cubs seemed amused while Richard chuckled and said, “We can share mine. I doubt I could eat it all. You really outdid yourself on this catch.”

Weakly giggling you brushed your hair out of your face, “Thank you. All the same, I’ll be sure to watch the skies from now on too.” Making him chuckle again at your next scowling glare up at the eagle in its distant flight back to its unseen nest. Wetting his lips his eyes lingered on you until he claimed his helping and you had taken yours.

Quietly helping to clean up and keep his place beside you for the onwards trek ahead until dinner. Chatting with you for the full time between sights of the random long horned goats crossing your path curiously watching you with one of the smallest trailing after you at a safe distance for nearly a mile until it was called home by its herd when they had lost patience for his wandering.

.

Two more days and it seemed that your luck had run out, just as you had cleared up from lunch, in which you had tossed your spare fish to a hungry looking bear cub hoping to keep it at a distance in case its mother came looking for it. That same cub stumbled into your path when the rain had started and at your freezing Richard tensed feeling your hand on his upper arm instructing him to just keep still only for the cub to playfully wrap its paw around your leg trying to guide you out of the storm. Though a loud call had it darting away and under the rocky ledge not far from there you found a raised section of earth you set up the tent under seeing it would only get worse. When it was finally up and covered with the rain tarp you both wiggled in and started the giggle inducing bout of back to back stripping from your wet things and into your dry change of clothes.

In your bra and panties you were glad your socks were still dry and pulled on an irritatingly low cut sweater you forgot you’d packed over a tank top and then went to pull on your jeans only to giggle at the far too wide thicker denim in your hands. In a half turn you passed Richard his jeans you had grabbed by mistake, “These would be yours.”

He chuckled thanking you and traded them for yours you eased over your feet and wiggled up over your thighs and knelt to pull them up all the way and secure them while Richard had to lay back sideways in an arch to do the same. Wetting his lips he watched you wring your hair out outside the open door as he sighed and crossed his legs in front of him, “Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting out of here soon.”

Weakly you chuckled saying, “Oh well, only a days delay.”

He nodded and turned his eyes back to his bag where he found his book and wet his lips again eyeing the cover before glancing up at you again peering out into the rain at the happily bounding Red Deer playing in the puddles in the distance. “Have you read this before?”

You glanced at the book in his hands with a chiseled headless man on the cover with his shirt open and shook your head failing to withhold your grin, “Wanderlust. Can’t say I have.”

He smirked replying in a low purr, “I know it’s a romance, but they’ve asked me to narrate it. Do you mind, I could use some practice with it?”

Your eyes caught his at the hopeful nip at his lip all but making you blush, “What, like read aloud, sure, if you like.” You hoped you had said that calmly and by his eyes falling to the pages on the book he flipped open you felt mildly successful. Though to be completely honest nothing in that book could make your heart race any faster than knowing this living breathing temptation on legs wanted to read a romance novel to you, and by the clear effect his voice had on you a walk in the rain before dinner might be needed by the looks of the cover. Artwork with shirtless men rarely proved pg and you doubted you could make it through anything more heated than a handshake and be able to sleep next to him tonight. No, you would not be sleeping at all, not if you had your way, not with that narrating growl dipping into his voice at the hunger he tried to convey in the lead male’s place.

Chapters flew by and you were thankful to have him focused on the book at the pinking of your cheeks and fingers curled over your mouth as you all but stared at him hungrily lapping up each word of the romance. But half a page later Richard’s focus snapped and an awkward bout of chuckles left him and he rested the book on his knee to cover his face, mumbling, “Oh I can’t,…” Leaning forward hoping to draw your focus away from the reaction he’d hoped you wouldn’t discover to the story he was telling, his eyes met yours and the raising of your brow twitched his jeans just a bit tighter under his duffel bag he was using as a pillow for his elbows. “It, he’s fantasizing about her.”

Weakly giggling at his raised brows and curious inspection of your face you claimed the book and found his place and giggled your way through that part deepening his blush before handing the book back again at your slump to your side to peer up at him, “I don’t know how you manage to read that aloud at all. I’d be a giggling mess.”

He chuckled again, “Decades of practice at embarrassing myself for an audience. Part of drama school, releasing the shame and embarrassment to fill a role.”

Again he raised the book and kept on reading, eventually laying back with his legs propped up beside you, eventually feeling you shift to rest your head against his shoulder looking on at the page hooked on the story until it was time to sleep. Both agreeing to try for another chapter on your lunch and finish the rest after dinner, heavily dropping into sleep only to find yourselves tangled up again when day broke. Though this time your heart was racing, and not from your heated dreams, at the curious mud coated goat standing above you stirring a scream muffled only by Richard’s hand after his failed attempts to quietly shoo it away. The goat left with a gentle nudge once you had reluctantly woken the group of lost bunnies who had hidden away inside your tent you had forgotten to close. Sitting up you giggled behind your hands in their rub across your face before glancing at the actor seated beside you. “Sorry, forgot to close it.”

He shook his head, “Nah, there’s two of us here. Joint blame, plus, the bunnies were nice enough. I don’t think anything was taken.”

You nodded and got to packing up eyeing the final trickles of rain that ended after your breakfast granting you a slightly muddy but mostly dry day of walking ahead.

.

That books ending had left you both silent for about half a day to settle through it and in the distance you spotted a long dirt road stirring a victorious chuckle from the tall actor beside you. For nearly an hour you followed the road seeing a few farms along the way with grazing and sleeping cows without any sign of entrances to the land. Though the putter of a distant engine had you both step off the path and turn for the source only to see a worn old farm truck driving up behind you. Wetting your lips you felt your chest clench hoping these were simply innocent farmers you were encountering.

A few minutes passed and Richard’s arm eased around your side under your pack protectively yet seemingly innocent enough form afar in case they were just simple bystanders. Wide grins spread on the sweater clad man with a pair of young boys clutching baskets in their laps in the truck that stopped for you.

The father grinned at you both seeing the curious grin on Richard’s face and your soft smile to ask in broken English, “Lost, way?”

With a weak chuckle you brushed your hair behind your ear smiling wider replying in Swiss German, guessing at his native tongue rightly and calming him greatly for the loss of the language barrier. **“Hello, we must have gotten turned around in the rain yesterday. You wouldn’t happen to be able to give us a ride to town? Or at least tell us which town is closest?”**

The man glanced at his sons saying, **“The nearest town past our little corner is Lauterbrunnen. Though it’s nearly half a days drive off.”** You nodded and wet your lips peering down the road.

**“I’ll tell you what. I’ll take you to our corner and my Nephew has been bothering me to find a reason to drive out there.”**

**“That would be, incredible, thank you. Though, we don’t have any money**.” He nodded and you added, **“He wouldn’t happen to trade a ride for cigarettes and a gold lighter, would he?”**

A grin spread across the man’s face and he nodded, **“Surely on the smokes alone he would agree.”** He nodded his head, **“Hop in the back.”**

You nodded and led Richard to the back where he helped you in and climbed in after, sitting down carefully between the covered baskets asking lowly, “What did he say?” His body shifting in the rolling of the truck again.

“We’re about half a days drive to Lauterbrunnen,” he raised a brow, “It’s gorgeous. Anyways, he’s taking us to his, apparently his nephew keeps bugging him for reasons to head there.”

Lowly he replied, “We don’t have any swiss currency.”

You shook your head and rummaged through your bag finding the cigarettes and the golden lighter and grinned at him, “Not the official currency. But he agreed to a trade.”

Richard chuckled and relaxed back watching the farm in the distance come into view steadily. The lovely cottage in the center bustling with children all helping with their early morning chores. When you stopped you both climbed out, shouldering your bags again while you held the packs and lighter in your hand and waited by the truck as the sweater clad man tottered around calling for his nephew.

Surely enough at the shout of, **“If you ever wanted to go see those falls of yours you’ll not miss this chance boy!”**

A distant scuffle was heard followed by racing steps while you grinned at the man who jumped at the young teen girl letting out a shriek when she spotted Richard causing him to smirk as she fumbled to keep hold of the clothes basket in her hands while stealing a picture of him on her phone. The teen boy was spotted finally stumbling through the doorway of the cottage across the drive to eagerly rush to his uncle’s side. A set of keys were passed and he hurried to fetch a newer truck from the side of the barn while you passed the lighter to the father who patted you on the shoulder saying, **“I hope you enjoyed your hike even with the turn around.”**

You nodded with a wide grin, **“It is gorgeous country to pass through.”**

 At a glance at your boots you took that as a subtle hint to climb into the back after the teen accepted only one of the packs saying in thick english, “Half now, half later.”

…

Against the side of the truck you sat under Richard’s arm watching the country growing behind you as you chatted and quietly giggled about the ease of your final leg of travels. Lowly beside you at the shrinking mileage on the signs you passed Richard asked, “This town-.”

“Lauterbrunnen.”

He nodded, “Yes, that,” making you giggle, “What is so special about it?”

“Well it’s a gorgeous tourist town with stunning waterfalls.” He nodded, “It’s actually rumored to be the inspiration for Rivendell.”

“Really?” he purred by your ear making you peer up at him curiously, “I can’t wait to see it. Any clue how we get home from there?”

“I know a guy, he’ll put us up for the night.”

“Your certain?”

You nodded and grinned at him, “Just relax. Tonight we get to use a real shower and sleep in actual beds.”

With a smirk he purred by your ear, “And here I pictured us pitching that adorably small tent in the middle of the room.”

Making you giggle again, “Don’t tempt me. I enjoy my tent.”

.

At the edge of the city you swayed at its sudden stop and you found your feet and led Richard off the truck to pass over the cigarettes earning a wave from the teen off to visit his crush in a shop not far from there. Wetting his lips Richard eased closer to you and watched you dig a small wallet out of your bag you slid into your pocket before shouldering your bag again and leading him into the bustling town. As the crowds grew his hand reached out to fold into yours and he held his grin at the parting masses all too eager to snap pictures of you both and send his name echoing off through the town. Thankfully the small town was well known to you and you found your destination, seemingly built out of the side of a tall hill the dark brown Hotel Alpenruh grew ahead of you and was a bit less crowded than the main street had been.

With a relieved exhale Richard flashed a grin to the wide eyed doorman who as soon as you had been spotted went rigid and sent a hand wave to the woman behind the desk who turned her head to call the manager out. His curious furrowed brows rose up when he spotted you entering stirring his walk around the counter, speaking in thick Swiss French, **_“Miss Pear! Welcome back!”_** His eyes slid over Richard, **_“Ah, and you brought a guest!”_** he sent you a not so subtle wink at your locked hands, **_“I knew you would see my point in this hotel as a love nest perfect for romance.”_** You let out a weak giggle and he said, **_“I see you have been out exploring. We will have our best room assigned for you then.”_** He nodded and moved around he counter handling your sign in himself and accepted the charge card you passed him deepening his grin as he swiped it then slid it back with a receipt for you to sign before he passed you your room keys and had one of the attendants to show you up to your room.

.

The white walls and pale wood covered walls surrounded the simple bed with two chairs on its right with a small table between, a sleek tv was fashioned on the wall over the simple dresser you set your bags on with relieved sighs inspecting the small bath attached to it. Richard chuckled and said, “We made it.” His hands rising to run through his hair before he dropped and raised you in a tight hug stirring a muffled giggle from you into his chest. Setting you down again he grinned at you saying, “I can never thank you enough.”

You shook your head, “Don’t worry about it.” You glanced at the time saying, “We could probably catch the earliest out if you like, I think that goes to, Zurich, and we can head to London from there, four hours, roughly if I remember rightly.”

“I’ll pay you back, for the room.”

You shook your head and giggled again, “Nope. Besides, I got a sneak peak at that audio book of yours and got to cuddle with you for a whole week, payment enough.” You stepped away from him only for him to move closer as you did, “If you’ll excuse me, I call first dibs on the bathroom.” He chuckled and nodded while you turned saying, “All that jostling..” Closing the door behind you while he turned smirking at the double bed meaning he got another night holding you. “There’s feathers on my back.” In his move to sit he paused mid air to inspect himself and grin seeing he was clean before sitting down, “And my ass. What the-…”

A few rough pats later the feathers were thrown away and you walked out of the bathroom with a forced grin easing his rise, “My turn,” making you giggle and go to your bag to double check you still had your passport and other documents in your longer wallet. The sight of which upon his exit once he had ensured he didn’t look too rough for being seen in public his lips parted and he moved to his bag confirming he still had his papers as well. “All my papers are still here. Along with my dead phone.”

Turning your head you opened the drawers on the desk along the wall and passed him the universal plug adaptor so he could recharge it widening his grin. Leaving that along the bedside table you asked, “Care for a bite? They have a place downstairs.”

He nodded, “That sounds lovely.” Wetting his lips he turned following you to the door that locked behind you and down to the restaurant where you were shown to a nice table in one of the smaller rooms for privacy but still had a great view, where Richard eyed the menu asking, “What’s good here?”

“Everything I’ve had here is great, just depends what you’re in the mood for.”

Richard chuckled smirking at you as he purred, “As long as it’s anything but fish or those rations packets.” Making you giggle and roll his eyes, “Not that I don’t your cooking and watching you fish. With your bare hands, how did you learn that?”

“One of my trips. It’s not that hard, lure them in with shade, tease the surface with a braid to lure them into place and then grab them. Not too hard to learn with patience.”

Stolen glances and deepening grins led to a stop up at your room for him to pocket his phone before your hand was claimed and you led him on foot through the city to explore. The awe inspiring falls stirring gasps from the actor who stole a beaming picture in front of a few with you under his arm he would post later between pictures he sent home confirming he was intact and was contently sightseeing. Here in the safe city where a set of their policemen took to lingering nearby in case the crowds grew too large around the star stirring attention from the eager yet respectful masses passing by.

Night fell and after your brief shower you slipped out in a towel freeing him to step inside in his boxer briefs, fully ready to scrub himself clean thoroughly with his kit from his pack while you dried and changed into a baggy t shirt and knee length sweats. Seated on the bed you switched the screen on and found a channel of old animated shows and you crossed your legs watching it only to glance at the grinning shirtless brit in sweats tugging a t shirt on in his path to the bed he giddily hopped onto beside you.

Before long you were laid back feeling your eyes drooping shut signaling Richard to switch off the tv and help you under the covers. A low request went ignored but drowsily you still rested your head on his bicep you tugged lower settling your hands around his elbow in your sleepy sigh as he eased up behind you nuzzling closer to your back. Finally feeling ease in having his legs mostly straight on the larger plushy surface while his other arm settled over your side with his hand resting gently on one of your arms.

.

The loose plan was to catch the first train out but at the comfortable bed and breakfast offered at nine you were off on foot afterwards. One train ride in an open car filled with curious whispers concerning the pair of you in your own whispered conversation was followed by a short lunch. With tickets purchased on your card you waited it out in a small eatery ignoring the stares and conversations around you while his arm and hand never seemed to lose contact with you.

This second ride was far more pleasant in the available private cars, though surrounded by glass Richard was grateful to be able to lock the door and draw the screens down granting you both a private nap sprawled out on the benches inside. A jolting stop had you waking with wide eyes planting a foot on the ground to keep yourself from falling onto it until you straightened up.

On your feet you shouldered your bags and Richard sent a message off to his parents he was on his way only to get one in return telling him to stop by the police station. Wetting your lips you felt your hand being claimed again and Richard nodded his head, “Let’s get this over with.”

A simple walk later and you were out in the street where he flagged down a taxi to take you to the police station. But after the first walk into the doors you were taken from his side and shown to a different room for your version of what had happened to you. With a grin after his lengthy interrogation due to his lack of detailed information to give Richard glanced across the station spotting his Father and Brother waiting for him, after a bout of hugs Richard turned and asked the sergeant on duty, “Miss Pear, the woman I came in with?”

The man replied, “Oh, her, the agents took her statement and sent her on her way.” Sheepishly he nodded and forced a grin turning to join his family on the trip home.

Grateful to hear that the men behind both of your capture along with almost all of their trafficking ring were arrested thanks to the information and confirming id’s you had taken from them easing the discovery of others they had been working with higher up in the chain.

Safely he was strapped into his brother’s car and driven off to see his Mother, a tight hug bled into her seated between his legs on the couch in a lengthy hug until she fell into a nap and he helped transfer her to bed. Taking the spare room he laid out and sat up eyeing his phone knowing that in a few days he would be off again to New York to record that same novel he now painfully linked to you. Aimlessly he scrolled through his phone until he sighed choosing to look through his unread messages.

With pursed lips however he noted the message in drafts to an unsaved number, under furrowed brows he read the simple message, _‘Hey escape buddy. Please don’t be upset, you’re still in the shower. Thought I’d leave this here, if you wanted it, in case you forget to ask. My cell number. Safe travels and all that.’_ Lowly he chuckled spotting the goat and bunnies behind the message and he saved the number with one of the pictures he’d taken of you both as the icon and sent you a simple message.

_‘Found your number. I’m sorry we didn’t get a proper send off after the station. I know it’s a bit late so, sleep tight, hope you don’t mind my messaging you tomorrow.’_

Laying his phone beside the bed after stealing another glance at the icon of you he sighed not expecting a response only to practically jump up at its buzz to read your response, _‘No worries. Mr Cairo liked to drag on a bit before cutting me loose. Get some sleep, hope your Mom got enough hugs and cuddles today. Message whenever you like. :D’_

…

Each day he slumped back into his schedule again, a simple avoidance of what your relationship status was while ensuring to send you at least a couple messages a day even at his busiest. Missing the trip you made to pass off the centuries old necklace you’d discovered in a back market in Italy from a far from level seeming shop to the museum that had reported it stolen decades ago. Another bump to your bank account for the long since claimed award once it was verified as authentic. But emptily you listened to the handlers prattle on at how you were continuing your great grandfather’s life’s work in discovering lost relics somehow by chance. Your lucky talent, one that brought you a treasure you now imagined to never be fully yours.

Though his absence beside you did nothing to lessen your long days alone with weeks soon bleeding into a full two months since you’d seen him. Again you walked through your neighborhood back to the doggy kennel you work part time at to ease the dogs there long time into social settings, not noticing the blue car driving past with yet another head turned your way, presumably at the large Irish Wolfhound trotting contently beside you. This one particularly eager for your attention and rightfully so after being abandoned and brought in from the side of a busy intersection. You must have appeared close to their former owner because at the first moment he saw you a few months back he was eager to be with you, and as you tired of traveling alone you started to take the offer of adopting him seriously your boss had suggested after seeing how depressed he was after you had left.

The instant he caught your scent he was eagerly popping up to search for any sight of you then eagerly pounce in his kennel wiggling excitedly when you’d returned with leash in hand for his walk. By the time you went to clock out your boss had a cart full of supplies and passed you the rope already hearing Tony’s whining from the back room, steadily he said, “Go on, you’ve got the space, and you can bring him to your shifts, but you cannot just leave him here.”

Rolling your head back you grumbled, “I’m going to need a ladder to hide my chocolates now.” Making your boss chuckle seeing you on your path back to claim your eager large puppy trotting happily alongside you to your car you loaded up the back seat with his things he sat next to, leaning against the big bag of food so he could peer over your shoulder as you drove back to your home.

The spacious home split in two, with a few acres it rested on surrounded by a tall brick and metal bar surrounding it all with a tall row of hedges against it. The few quaint gardens kept up by your grandfather living in the western half in his retirement and the sight of your guest stirred a grin onto his face as he stole a glance at the Irish Wolfhound puppy spread across the large cushion along the wall in his study. Curiously Tony followed you through each room you named for him while setting up his food and water bowl in the kitchen and ending with his bed along the wall in your bedroom. A soft whine had you lead him to the back door he trotted through and giddily went to peer into the windows at the puppy asleep next door, a chosen place to squat later and he returned to the door.

.

On your couch you eyed Tony contently napping on his mat by your feet reading a book only to snap it shut at the doorbell. Behind the wooden barrier you spotted an oddly familiar blue car behind Richard who stood holding a bunch of flowers, wine and a brown bag of food. “I know it’s sudden, and possibly unexpected, however-,” his eyes went over your shoulder seeing a shadow and hearing things shifting in the other room, “You have company.”

You shook your head giving him a soft grin, “It’s just Tony.”

With a partial flutter of his eyelids he held his expression still and all but whispered out, “You do have a boyfriend then.”

You shook your head again as his hands lowered just barely, “Tony’s my dog.”

His brows inched up, replying in a clearly elated tone, “You have a dog!”

“Well, I sort of got him today-,” you stepped aside, “Come in.”

Following you inside straight to your dining room he grinned seeing the homey abode feeling and looking every inch what he’d imagined it would. Setting it all up he listened to your detailed account on what brought Tony home with you, who was now on his feet sniffing Richard before nudging his food bowl back to the table to sit and eat with the both of you. “So, now, I have a dog.”

Chuckling lowly he gave you a play by play of his latest short stint in the new small film and the other audio books he had recorded without you. Through dinner he spilled all he wanted to share and drew more out about what he had missed of your simple days without him he treasured hearing each moment of. When the plates were empty and wine tapped out he grinned at you grateful to hear your offer of a late night film. Though on his feet he grinned and drew an envelope out of his pocket he passed to you, “Before I forget. I promised to pay you back.”

Weakly chuckling you tried to push the envelope back to him, “You don’t owe me anything.”

His head tilted with a charming grin and deeply loving gaze he nudged it back, “Humor me, please. Open it.”

With a sigh you claimed the envelope and eased it open to furrow your brows and draw out a folded set of papers he grinned wider as you unfolded them and flipped between the emailed receipts, “What is this?”

“They’re our plane tickets and hotel bookings.”

You looked up at him and let out a disbelieving chuckle, “They’re what?”

In a cheeky tone he stated, “I’m taking you to Monaco. You always wanted to go.”

Another giggle left you and you asked, “Rich-, you’re serious?”

He nodded, “It’s a couple months out. I have another small role to film and then I’m all yours for two weeks in Monaco.”

“Rich-,”

His hand cradled yours while the other claimed the papers to set on the table before rising to brush your curls behind your ear in a lingering gaze, “I, this is not a debt for freeing me from a cage, or guiding me a week through Switzerland’s wilds, I can’t read a book without thinking of you. Looking at trees, any stretch of green at all, the smell of fish-,” he added with a chuckle, “I can’t help but think of you, I can’t help but miss you in my arms. If you’ll have me, I would very much love to be yours. This Friday, I’ll be back from LA, I would like to take you out, officially on a date.” After wetting his lips he asked, “Would you allow me to take you to dinner?”

You nodded, “Yes.”

Chuckling in relief his forehead met yours and his other hand eased your hand onto his chest and up to his neck to slide down along your arm slowly to your back as his nose eased against yours, “Will you go to Monaco with me?” Again you nodded and he chuckled and nipped at his lower lip again before asking in a low purr aching to just kiss you already, “I just have one more question Darling.”

Barely above a whisper you answered, “Yes.”

Hoping it would make him kiss you, but only making him chuckle weakly again before asking at his thumb stroking just under your lower lip up and up over your cheek again, “Would you allow me to hold you tonight, my Darling.”

Again you answered, “Yes.” And before he could chuckle again or speak another teasing word he let out a content hum at your fingers snaking up the back of his neck into his hair in your rise up to plant your lips on his for a kiss he hungrily melted into, clutching you tightly to his chest. As decided you held one another through a film until you made the move to your bed where he stripped out of his boots and jeans to climb into bed with you. Grinning as he folded his arms around you after another lingering kiss.

Though just as you were drifting off he gently kissed your brow and murmured against your skin, “My Darling?”

Groggily you hummed back, “Hmm?”

“I nearly forgot, my Mum asked me to bring you to tea tomorrow.”

Opening your eyes you peered up at him in disbelief, “You forgot?”

He nodded, “They’ve all been dying to meet you.”

With a sigh you nuzzled back against his chest mumbling, “I can’t just leave Tony alone.”

Hastily he blurted back, “Bring him. Mum loves dogs.”

Sighing again you mumbled against his chest, “Next you’ll be telling me you’ve already planned on me tagging along to one of your events.”

“Now that you mention it, there is a premier-,” In a desperate move you tilted your head back to cup his cheek and plant your lips firmly on his lips, morphing his mumbled to chuckles that soon shifted to content hums and soft breathy moans not long after.

**Author's Note:**

> Note – I chose the land they were lost in out of random. Please forgive my errors, if there are any, as far as locations for trekking across Switzerland. Tried to avoid specific directions or markers between locations for that reason. I am not to be trusted with maps in real life, but I do try to improve a bit for my rambles.


End file.
